


outshine

by isloremipsumafterall (orphan_account)



Category: The Musketeers (2014)
Genre: F/M, Stardust AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-20
Updated: 2015-05-20
Packaged: 2018-03-31 10:37:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3974977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/isloremipsumafterall
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Porthos is just trying to prove his worth in life, a falling star seems like the best proof he can get until the day he steps over the wall to discover the star and finds far better things along the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	outshine

**Author's Note:**

> for my darling jaeger wife vicomtesse, happy birthday.
> 
> all and any (and many I bet) mistakes and incoherent things are my own

The problem with Paris was that to Porthos it was far too small.

Everyone knew him there, knew of his fatherless and motherless past and knew of his reputation alongside Flea and Charon.

Which at that point, wasn’t very much beyond a skilled brawler in a world of sword fighting; a scar on his eye had proven that the sword often got the best of him no matter how much he improvised.

What they didn’t know however, was Porthos had found some of the truth of his past and that his father was in fact in the richest man in town, Belgard.

He hadn’t planned to do anything with that knowledge however until the day that he, Charon and Flea ran into some trouble with gambling.

“We need to do something.” Flea stood by the window, arms crossed and body taut with worry.

Charon and Porthos exchanged glances, knowing she was right.

They’d gambled and lost and with that their chance to buy the orphanage they had all grown up in and provide a better life for the parentless street children that they once were.

Porthos sighed heavily, “That’s it then, I’ll make a plea to my father.”

“Porthos no.” Flea reached out to grab him as he stood, knowing how Porthos would do anything to help his friends but not willing to see him put to such lengths, “You’ll be laughed out of there.”

She glanced over at Charon, pleading him to help her convince Porthos not to go.

“Something has to be done, you just said it yourself.” Porthos reasoned.

“Flea’s right though, beyond the letter your mother left in that basket with you we have no proof. They’ll say it was forged, after all what good is our word.” Charon was bitter, a sour look on his face that came from too many days of watching nobles parade their wealth and accuse them of senseless crimes.

“I have to try.” Porthos argued back and both Flea and Charon knew he couldn’t be swayed.

All they could do was be here for him when he got back.

~~

His half-sister was a cruel mistress, the whole town knew it and while Porthos had stayed away from the Belgard household his whole life in knowing of their reputation, he’d never thought he’d feel this humiliated by her laughter at his declaration.

He stood before Belgard, his daughter Eleanor, and her husband Levesque, shifting on his feet in discomfort in his best clothes which were still nothing by comparison.

“Enough,” Belgard rumbled, silencing his daughter and son-in-law and eyeing Porthos with interest, “So you’re the result of my trip over the Wall.”

Porthos gritted his teeth, it wasn’t like Belgard didn’t know that; Porthos had been found on the steps of the orphanage and since his mother’s letter instructed him to be sent to Belgard’s mansion it was clear that he or someone working for him had cast him out to the orphanage.

He nodded tersely, wondering if at some point Belgard would talk about what was over the Wall for he’d heard legends his whole life and had always longed to visit it.

Sadly he got nothing but Belgard humming in consideration, the shadows cast from the fire hiding his face.

“I suppose you are now old enough that you can prove yourself.”

Porthos was ready to protest, he shouldn’t have had to, that he had this background and said nothing of it to scandalize people for all the years he’d known should have been enough.

Instead he forced himself to relax his hands that he had balled into fists and breathed out, thinking of his foster siblings back at their home, “What would you have me do?”

Belgard tilted his head in consideration, stroking his beard and next to him Eleanor glanced out of the corner of her eye, watching her father and looking thoroughly angered by this development.

Suddenly though light filtered through the window as a shooting star fell, relatively someplace over the Wall.

Eleanor sat up, eyes gleaming in interest in the fire’s light, “Father perhaps I could suggest something.”

Her voice was saccharine sweet and Porthos felt a sudden chill go through him, for the first time genuinely worried.

Belgard rolled his hand to press his daughter to go on and she straightened even more in her seat, the picture of elegance and lies.

“I suggest that Porthos deliver that shooting star to us.” She blinked innocently, “After all that seems like an equally impossible task as he himself being one of us.”

Porthos’ growl echoed in the room and Eleanor smirked at him.

“Eleanor,” Belgard sighed but Porthos was quick to cut him off.

“I’ll do it.” As soon as the words were out of his mouth he was cursing himself and letting her have won that round.

Belgard raised an eyebrow.

“Very well. You have a fortnight, if the shooting star is not with us by then than your request is denied and no further mention of your parentage shall ever be talked about.” The warning in his voice suggested death and Porthos had the sinking feeling it would not just be his but everyone around his as well.

“But if you do succeed we will allow you to live here, to train to be my new child, and you can do as you wish with the money so long as you remain.”

His heart sunk, it sounded as though no matter what he did it was a losing situation, but he had gotten himself into this and at the very least for his foster siblings he would do his best to help them out.

~~

At first he hadn’t planned on telling Charon and Flea what he had done, trudging right to the Wall where De Foix stood guard, staring at him with trepidation.

“You wouldn’t be wanting to do what I think you will, would you?” De Foix crossed his arms, subtly edging himself over more to better protect the hole in the Wall that allowed the only accessible entrance.

Porthos contained his grumbling best he could, “I need over the Wall. It’s a matter of life and death.”

And with that he rushed forward only to fail miserably, ending with him on the ground and De Foix telling him under no uncertain terms to go home where Charon and Flea waited with news.

~~

Surprisingly they were more understanding and after Charon had punched him once they all called themselves even and sat down to talk about it.

“I need a way over the Wall.” Porthos mused, looking into his drink like it would have all the answers and missing Flea and Charon exchanging a look.

Flea stood and patted him on the shoulder on what Porthos assumed was her leaving to the other room to grab more wine but when she came back instead she was carrying the basket he had been left in as a child that they had stolen from the orphanage attic seven years ago in their attempt to find clues on Porthos’ parentage.

From that basket she pulled out his mother’s letter, a chain, and a candle.

He’d read that letter enough times to know it’s exact words, how she loved him and was leaving him with the part of magical chain his father had tried cutting, a glass dewdrop flower, and something called a Babylon candle.

No matter how bad times had gotten they had never lit that candle, in part because Charon and Flea took the part where ‘it will transport you where you need to go’ with too much superstition where Porthos scoffed at it.

Flea pulled his hands away from his cup, setting the chain and flower in one hand and the candle in the other.

“Flea-” He began and she shook her head.

“You may not believe it Porthos but there is magic in this, I know it.” She squeezed his wrist that she was holding and Porthos looked over at Charon who nodded.

“All right,” He said quietly, staring down at the candle in his hand.

“Think of where you need to go.” Flea told him, pressing a kiss to his head just as Charon reached over to knock their fingers together in support and then the both of them stepped back as Porthos leaned over to light the candle in his hands with the flame of the candle on the table.

And just like that, in a brilliant flash of light, Porthos was gone.

~~

Constance had been minding her own business when she knocked from the heavens above to the dreadfully cold and hard ground below.

She’d been lying in the crater she had caused, a necklace beside her that looked like it was made of clear crystal and her ankle hurting like nothing else had ever hurt her before.

It was some time before she felt she could stand up and unfortunately for Constance it was at that moment that Porthos came into her life, literally ramming into her and causing her to lose her balance once more.

“What was that for?” She snapped, squinting in the darkness at the stranger who’d run into her, seeing a dark skinned man with what could best be described as third hand clothing standing up and offering her his hand to stand as well.

She took it grumbling and hobbled to her feet, along the grabbing the necklace she had landed on, deciding that it at least could be hers.

“Apologies,” The man said, holding his arms out still to offer her a chance to get stable and catch her should she fall.

She inclined her head towards him in silent gratitude, still upset he’d run into her in the first place.

“Do you often choose to just blindly run into people?” Constance asked, reaching up to run her hand through her curls in an attempt to make them behave again.

The man chuckled and for all that she was annoyed she had to admit he had a nice laugh, there something oddly soothing about it.

“Only when traveling by this.” The man held up a candle and Constance’s eyes lit up.

“That’s a Babylon candle!” She exclaimed, suddenly overwhelmed with excitement, reaching towards it as the man stared at it in a mixture of confusion and wonder.

If she could get her hands on that than she could return to the sky where she belonged.

Before she could sneak it away however he shoved it in his pocket, turning towards her.

“I’ll give it to you,” He began and she nearly sighed in relief, “But I need your help first.”

She frowned at him, “With what?”

“A shooting star, one clearly landed here with the crater, I need to find it.” He explained, holding his arms out around him to gesture at the crater they were in and Constance blinked at him before she started laughing.

“You’re joking.”

He shook his head, lines of worry etched in his face that showed Constance he was in fact serious.

“Well I can definitely help with that.” She gestured towards herself and waited for him to catch on.

“You’re a…shooting star.” He sounded highly disbelieving.

Constance snorted, “Shooting star, sure, whatever you’d like to call it. Was perfectly fine in my own world until someone chose to knock me out of it.”

He was still staring at her.

“Look I’m going to have to ask you to stop that.” She held a finger, poking him in the chest, “I am not something to be…to be ogled at.”

She nearly threw her hands up in frustration except at that exact moment the man had come over his shock and suddenly there was a chain looped around her wrist and the man was holding onto the end of it.

“You must be kidding.” She looked at the length of chain between them and rolled her eyes, turning to walk away and pull the chain from his hands but instead all the chain did was magically expand with every step she took.

The man looked as surprised as she did.

“You will let me go this instant.” Constance voice was low, trying to disguise the sudden fear she felt run over her at captivity.

The man scratched the back of his head awkwardly and then, as though it made it all better, apologized.

~~

His name was Porthos and he desperately needed her to save his siblings and earn a rank in the world, though that last part was tagged on bitterly.

The only decent thing about him was he kept apologizing and as he lead them in the direction he thought the Wall was he was very slow and continuously stopped to help her hobble along, even at one point building her a split on leaves and wood.

That and he had promised her the Babylon candle and despite this sudden kidnapping, she had a feeling he was a man of his word.

“So how is presenting your family with a woman going to earn you all this.” Constance fell on scathing sarcasm, still highly worried on this recent turn of events.

Porthos sighed, “It’s not because you’re a woman, it’s because you’re a star.”

“Yes because that makes all logical sense. I know so many cultures that rely on the currency of constellations.”

Porthos’ lips twitched in amusement and she glared at him until he held his hands up and mumbled another apology.

“Look, all they need to do is see you and then I’ll give you the candle and that’s it.” Porthos assured her, “I just, it’s important to my siblings. I want to leave something for them even if…”

“Even if…” She prompted him, curious.

“Nothing.” Shadows fell over his eyes and she could clearly see this was affecting him.

Had he not kidnapped her she might have comforted him but as it was all she said was, “Can we take a rest now?”

Porthos looked down at her ankle in worry and met her eyes again, nodding.

When she sat down he hesitated and then tied the chain to log in what she was willing to bet was a knot she couldn’t undo in time.

She raised her eyebrows when he looked at her again and he shrugged a little sheepishly.

“Just, just stay here. I’ll check out the next town and get us some food.” He wavered anyway, clearly not wanting to leave her to her own devices until she rolled her eyes and waved him away.

And there she sat until a miraculous thing happened and into the clearing came a unicorn, whose horn could break her chains and let her slip on; leaving the area with only a little guilt in her heart at abandoning Porthos’ quest.

~~

Right as she left it started to rain, thundering down on her and her steed and Constance shivered, wishing they had stayed in the forest for some cover at least.

As luck would have it however, just a little whiles down the road she spotted an inn, sliding off the unicorn with a grateful pat to his neck and walking up to it.

“Hello? Hello? Please I need some help!” She yelled as she banged on the door, trying to be heard over the roaring thunder.

The door opened and a dark haired woman came in to view, clicking her tongue at Constance sympathetically, “My dear, come in come in.”

She slipped an arm over Constance’s wet shoulders and led her inside.

“Why you’re soaking, whatever happened my dear?” The older woman cooed at her.

“Please I don’t have any money,” Constance began but the woman waved her off.

“Nonsense, I don’t need it my dear, let’s just get you cleaned up and out of those wet clothes. I’m Marie de Medici and this is my…husband, he’ll take your steed to the stables.” She led Constance up a stairway to a room that had a bathrobe on it.

“Now, let’s run you a bath shall we?”

Unknowingly, Constance began to glow.

~~

Porthos arrived back at the clearing and froze when he saw Constance was no longer there, hoofprints hard to see in the dark and the rain but clearly leading away.

He’d failed, and worse, he’d put Constance through trauma beforehand when she had clearly not deserved it.

Sulking under the branches of wide tree to protect himself from the rain he began to think himself crazy when he heard whispers.

_Protect out sister Porthos._

_Find the carriage coming your way._

**_Go now!_ **

Driven into action he tore through the forest where the road was and was right on time to be nearly run over by a carriage.

The carriage came to halt, Porthos running to catch up with it and nearly did a double take on the man standing there.

There was something in his features that reminded Porthos of himself and certainly the other man stared at him with scrutiny.

“What’s the meaning of this, running in front of my carriage? Have you no knowledge I am a prince on am mission?” By the way the man on the carriage held himself Porthos had a feeling he was supposed to be bowing.

He had no time for that with Constance in danger however if the stars whispering to him were right.

“And I am…here to help you. Sent by the stars above.” It was quite a world he had stumbled into where that received an admirable look from the man.

“Very well, I am Primus and you may serve me until I see fit.”

Luckily the dark hid Porthos rolling his eyes.

He scrambled onto the carriage, taking the reins and listening only to the directions, mostly grunting when Primus mentioned anything of himself; his mind was solely on the red headed woman he had meant only a few hours ago and danger she might have been in.

It was a shame because if he had he might have learned the tale on princes chase for what was now a clear crystal necklace that once touched by the future king of Stormhold would make them the rightful ruler of the land and perhaps, might have even realized it sounded remarkably similar to the one Constance wore around her neck.

~~

Constance soaked in the bad, sighing in delight and glowing brighter and brighter. She had never truly seen herself in the sky before so she had no knowledge of the way she gave herself away as a true fallen star.

The glow came from inside her, she knew that much and she shone bright and humble in the sky above, accepting that there were other stars that would take up the sky more but here on earth she looked more lovely than any living creature as she glowed.

Sadly she had no idea the cost that came with it or the knife that lay under the bed Marie had made for her in preparation to cut out her very heart.

She instead only cared on how she felt in that second, relaxed and grateful.

~~

Primus had him halt at an inn and Porthos was more than grateful given how wet he was from the rain and his clothes were certainly not made for this at all.

His scar over his eye hurt as it did every time it rained and made it more difficult for him to navigate the horses to the stable as Primus stepped inside.

~~

Constance had just been settling on the bed for a massage from Marie, her foot feeling much better and practically completely healed somehow, when the door slammed open and Marie growled in frustration, a far sight from the charming innkeeper she had been seconds before.

It was curiousity that had her stepping down the stairs when she heard a voice, seeing Marie was nowhere in sight but instead a man was stepping into the bath that she had just exited.

As soon as he noticed her he began babbling on about the most inane things and Constance’s once relaxed glow faded in her boredom.

The boredom didn’t last however, the man, Primus he had called himself, eventually squinted his eyes at her, specifically her neck where she wore the necklace that had caused her fall from the heavens.

“What is that you’re wearing?”

“It’s nothing.” She placed a hand over her necklace, taking a step back.

“It’s something,” Primus insisted, “Now come here.” When she didn’t he got angry, bellowing in loud voice, “I demand you come here!”

He was silenced the next second however by Marie sneaking up behind him and slitting his throat right before Constance’s eyes.

A scream of terror was stuck in her throat, there was no time for it, Constance looking around desperately and finding a sword, making a lunge for it and barely grasping the handle before Marie took a step closer to her.

“Now my dear put that down.” The once sweet voice fell on deaf ear, Constance refusing to believe her.

She held the sword in front of her, steadying her shaking hand and refusing to back down in anyway.

It was at that moment the unicorn charged through the wall, horn aimed at the witch’s heart and Constance could have cried out in victory if not for the witch’s fire that burned the unicorn to ashes where it had stood.

Following the unicorn came Porthos, his foot slamming into the door so hard it knocked it off its hinges and he took in the scene, racing to Constance’s side in a second and looking for another sword but sadly coming up short.

“Stay back,” She hissed at him, throwing an arm over his stomach to stop him in his tracks.

“Not likely.” She heard Porthos breathe into her ear and it warmed her that he had her back so readily.

“Well any bright ideas?” As Marie stepped closer she and Porthos took a step back as one, trying to keep away from the fire spewing from her fingertips.

“Just one.” Porthos said, and then he wound an arm around her waist a top of the bathrobe she wore, “Think of home.”

As soon as the light blinded them she knew Porthos had lit the Babylon candle and the next thing she knew after that was she regretted it.

~~

“Have you gone mad?” She yelled, probably barely more than a whisper captured by the wind and whipped away.

They stood on top of a cloud, thunder drowning their hearing and lightening racing across the sky far too near to them, they’d barely been there for more than a minute and their clothes were even more soaked than ever before.

“Think of home.” She scoffed. “So I think of the sky and you think of the land and now here we are.”

Porthos looked miserable, inching over the edge and Constance tensed; ready to dive for him should she need to, the sword she had taken still in her hand.

She was about to tell him not to even think about falling and leaving her up here as some escape attempt when something fell over the both of them and flying boat blocked out the lightening around them.

~~

“So what do we have here boys?” The grey haired man paced in circles around Porthos and Constance who were still tangled in the net on the ship’s deck, “Lightening thieves perhaps?”

“We’re just travelers.” Porthos claimed, “Looking to get back home.”

“Oh?” The man raised an eyebrow, “And how do travelers end all the way up in the clouds without a boat of their own.”

“Through sheer stupidity.” Constance muttered and the man must have heard her as he laughed uproariously.

Porthos’ hand caught hers, looking for the sword she hopefully still had and Constance got the idea, flicking it and cutting a big enough hole in the net for them to tear out of.

Porthos charged forward first, hitting the man in the face that had been smoothing down his moustache as the captain talked, knocking him out in one swift blow and Constance had only a second to admire the way the wet clothes clung to Porthos’ muscles when he used them before she was forced to swing her sword in front of her least she lose her head.

The young man seemed hesitant in attacking her so she used that to her advantage, putting all her strength into catching his sword with hers and flicking her wrists to disarm him, holding the sword to her throat.

Unfortunately that had given the captain time to sneak up on her, a dagger resting against her throat.

“I’d stop if I were you.” He said and as soon as Porthos looked over his shoulders fell, catching Constance’s eyes and raising his hands to surrender.

~~

“Touch her and I’ll kill you.” Porthos couldn’t put up much of a fight tied the chair as he was but he would damn well make sure if Constance was hurt there would be hell to pay.

“I can take care of myself thank you, you’re the one with scars here.” He’d missed her sarcasm, how had they known each other for so little of a time and he’d already missed her sarcasm? “So I should be looking out for you, touch him and I’ll end you.”

He knew she was looking at the captain standing before them and tried not to snicker at the determination in her voice; it mostly just seemed funny to him someone looking out for him who wasn’t Flea or Charon.

“I think we had found there will be murder to be had if someone is killed.” The captain said, calm as could be. “But I don’t think we’ll have to resort to that.”

“What do you mean?” Porthos eyed him, fists clenched in some kind of preparedness.

“I mean I’m just here to put on a show for my men. There’s a ruthless reputation I need to maintain since I can’t let Richelieu take control of the sky.” Porthos had no idea what he was talking about. “So no one needs to be killed today, and for the record, I am Captain Treville.”

“So if you’re not going to murder us than what is it your brought us in here for?” Constance asked and in response, Treville smirked.

~~

As Porthos watched his fake body hurdle to the ground to keep Treville’s reputation of fearsome lightening collector captain in tact he heard the yells from the main deck in the captain’s cabin he had snuck into.

Constance was certainly putting on a show, hitting Treville and anyone that got near to her and Porthos winced in sympathy as the one described as Aramis whom he had hit first on the deck only an hour ago got close and received a slap for his trouble.

Eventually they made it to the captain’s cabin and the doors swung open, Constance dropping the act and beaming at Porthos when she saw him, darting forward and wrapping her arms around him.

In surprise he automatically hugged her back, burrowing his face into her still damp curls that somehow still smelled of a fresh sky.

“Good show,” He murmured, breaking the moment between them awkwardly.

“Yes, thank you.” She responded, tucking back a curl and when it fell over her eyes again Porthos resisted the temptation to tuck it back for her.

“Are we all together again?” Treville asked, bemused.

Porthos and Constance nodded, noticing they were still pressed against each other and pulling away.

“Good, let’s get you both cleaned up.”

As it happened Treville’s closet contained a great number of dresses that Ninon de Larroque had once paid him with for lightening. Since she had need it to charge the generator for her lights for her school he’d been kind enough to take the payment and no idea what to do with it since.

Before he left them to get change e offered all of them to Constance in gratitude while for Porthos he found a space outfit he wore when he was younger.

It was tight across Porthos’ shoulders, the collar flipped up and with the shirt untied as it was it emphasised the line of neck to chest and she looked away hurriedly to change in the other room from him.

Her own dress was a pale lavender which side had folds that rippled towards the middle with a red chemise, it placed quite an emphasis on her breasts but she doubted the other dresses would be more modest, the thin straps of the dress lay on her shoulders while the puffed sleeves of the chemise barely covered the rest of her shoulder.

Porthos knocked, waiting for Constance to give the all clear and then stepping out as she was struggling to pin her hair up.

He stepped close to her, hands raised and hovering above her hair, looking at her in the mirror for silent approval until she nodded and with roughly calloused but gentle fingers he pulled it back, pinning it so her shorter curls fell to her sides and a top her forehead to emphasis her face while the rest of her curls flowed at the back.

“You’re not bad at that.” She complimented, smiling at him in the mirror and seeing the pleased crinkles at the corners of his eyes in the reflection.

“Used to help Flea get hers done if she was sick.” He explained.

“Your sister right?”

He nodded, eyes no longer smiling and lost in a world of sorrow and at that moment Constance understood just how much those around him meant to Porthos.

She reached up to catch one his hands as they worked, awkwardly tangling their fingers together and meeting his eyes in the mirror.

“We’ll help them.” She promised and Porthos grinned at her, widely unabashedly happy and looking away as Treville stepped back in just in time to miss Constance’s own literal glow when she smiled back.

~~

Treville’s plan was not Constance’s favourite, in fact she was against it completely and was glad Porthos was too.

“I won’t treat her like that.” Porthos argued, looking away in shame, “Done enough of that.”

It meant a lot to her that he would say that, but what he did next looking her in the eyes and offering a genuine apology had her leaning over to squeeze his shoulder, “I might have too if my siblings were in danger.” She had told him, pleased they had reached this leeway between them.

Still, they didn’t have much of a choice.

“I don’t even see how they won’t recognize him when we get back,” Constance whispered to Treville, stepping away from Athos whom she had been talking to during the walk.

“Magic.” Treville said back and that was a fair enough response given the world they lived in.

She sighed and continued to follow him to the market where he wanted to sell his lightening to the highest bidder, waiting around bored as Treville and the crewmates bartered.

It could have been just a trick of the light but as she left she could have sworn that she saw the witch that had almost trapped her at the inn riding in to town.

She didn’t have much time to think of it however as they made their way back to the flying ship and there in the middle of the deck stood Porthos, wearing his new outfit with a sword attached to his hip.

Her sword.

She was going to get that back from him she promised with a silent glare and he grinned unrepentant in return.

“Ah my nephew.” Treville announced loudly, “I see you got my letter on joining us for the week long trip to central market.”

Porthos nodded slowly, clearing his throat to say something but Treville cut him off.

“You’re lucky, we have someone to keep you company over the trip.” He gestured at Constance who huffed in anger and stormed over to Porthos to keep up the act.

“You better not be enjoying this.” She said only loud enough for him to be.

“I’m not.” He replied miserably and she could see this idea irked him as much as it did her.

At least they were in it together.

~~

The trip was both eventful and uneventful, their days were spent learning swords together.

At first the crew had been uncertain on teaching Constance until Porthos had readily passed her her sword back and watched her nearly corner two men with just her anger and wit.

After that though they treated Constance learning the sword as any other and she and Porthos had a lot of laughs taking each other on. On top of that he was willing to show her some up close moves he had learned on the streets.

The nights were spent in close contact in Treville’s cabin that he had graciously given them, most of the time just talking as Constance mended the shirt Porthos had torn in sword practice that day.

“Do you have any family?” Porthos asked her one night and Constance looked up at the stars.

“Not exactly, all those close constellations that you see up there together, those are families who haven’t wanted to separate, who believe in a foreverness.”

He raised an eyebrow at her and she laughed at herself.

“I believe in it too, I just, never found someone to share that with. You humans are lucky that for all your fighting and your wars and your horrible stupidity that you can love so wholly like that.” Her heart ached in longing at her words, thinking of times she had looked down at earth to see humans fall in love over and over.

“Like you and your siblings, it’s a love, maybe not a romantic love but it’s clear you love them.”

Porthos grunted in agreement, leaning forward, “They’re not my actual siblings you know.”

That surprised her, looking over at him.

“The three of us were all at the orphanage together, see my mother came from this place, over the Wall, but my father was from Paris and he…he’s not a good man.” Porthos frowned at that, “Abandoned me to that place and in truth I’m grateful because I can’t imagine a life without Flea and Charon.”

He fiddled with a button on the sleeve of the shirt that rested next to him.

Constance rested her hand a top his own, stopping the movement and making him look up at her.

“Your father might not have been a good man Porthos, but you?” She reached up to cup his cheek, his beard prickling the palm of her hand. “You are.”

He beamed at, leaning over to press a kiss to her cheek in gratitude, telling her the whole sordid tale of what his father had requested of him and what truly brought him here.

From the door where Treville stood to ask them to join the crew for food he could see the brilliant way Constance shone, and the depressing way Porthos didn’t notice.

~~

“Porthos why do you carry that flower, you’ve had it since we first met.” Constance asked one of the nights they were on the ship as Porthos twirled the glass flower between his fingertips.

“It’s the last thing I have from my mother since the chain and candle are gone,” He explained, “I don’t want to lose it.”

Constance hummed and tapped her fingers against her hip in consideration before reaching over for the flower, stopping before she touched it though.

“Do you trust me?” She asked, looking down at Porthos.

“Course,” He said, a little gruffly but without any hesitation and held the flower up to her.

That night she sewed an area within his jacket close to his heart that would keep the glass flower safe and was rewarded with him lifting her in the air, laughing uproariously and thanking her profusely.

~~

She kept looking up at the sky, Porthos wasn’t sure she knew that she was doing it but she kept doing it.

“Miss home?” He asked her, coming to sit next to her on the window bench in the cabin where she looked up to the stars.

“It’s beautiful up there.” She said, “Beautiful and lonely.”

He frowned at that, bringing an arm over her shoulder and she rested her head against his chest.

“Tell me about it.” He offered.

“It’s vast up there, all the room you could ever want and you can shine as much as you like. Just as every other one up there.”

The last part sounded melancholic, Constance had a sad smile on her face.

“Sure you stand out.” He said, tucking a strand of hair back from her face. “Unique as you are, don’t know many stars who can hold their own in a swordfight.”

She laughed, “I like watching those. I don’t like watching your wars but those singular swordfights? They were always interesting.”

“There you go then.”

“Porthos, you can’t just decide that.”

“Think I just did. You outshine them all Constance.” There was no doubt in his tone that he meant it.

~~

The first time he had seen Constance it had been dark with only the light of the moon to shine on her and now that light paled in comparison to her own.

To her smile, the way she determinedly fought next to him, when she talked about the sky and the beauty of the heavens and how the light caught her hair in just the right ways to make it look like copper fire.

She was beautiful and gorgeous and…a star, who belonged in the heavens and nowhere near his father or half-sister or that world at all.

A selfish part of him wanted her to stay here, with him, on this flying ship forever with a crew they had befriended and a new life to live.

But more than that, he wanted to see her shine as the star she truly was.

~~

He almost kissed her the night they helped the crew gather lightening, with rain pouring down at them and Constance laughing in delight in front of him as they caught the electric waves.

When she turned to him, blue eyes bright even in the midst of the storm, reaching up to hug him in her excitement and bringing their faces close he’d almost closed the gap between them.

So had she.

~~

How Porthos had missed Constance literally glowing around him Treville had no idea but when they set down on shore a week and a half later and he was saying his goodbye’s he hugged Constance close to whisper in her ear, “He glows when he looks at you too, it’s just not as obvious.”

She pulled away in shock, mouth opening and closing as she thought of lies but none came.

He smiled at her, patting her shoulder and turning away to his goodbye’s to Porthos, passing along a container of lightening to him as he did.

“Keep those swords up mind you.” Treville called out to them from the ship, “And should you need it you’ll always find refuge on the Garrison.”

With that the ship that they had called something-not-quite-home was off, leaving just the two of them to walk toward the Wall.

~~

“I’m excited to meet your sister and brother.” Constance said, “Well, not your half siblings by blood from what you’ve told me but Flea and Charon.”

“You ought to like them, you and Flea can team up on us both.” Porthos teased in his low voice.

Constance smirked, “I’m sure we would.”

She brushed Porthos’ arm as she walked, shivering lightly at the touch and Porthos frowned at that, stopping to pull off his over jacket to hand it to her.

“You make quite a picture.” He said, looking over how she looked with the dress and jacket combination.

She rolled her eyes, “I look ridiculous.”

“You look as lovely as ever.” There was such a truth to Porthos’ words it was hard not to be caught breathless by them, tilting her head up as he leaned towards her and they were so close, her skin felt like it was on fire with its glow and-

“Why do you do that?” He asked.

“Do what?” She pulled back, curious.

“Glow.”

She blinked and then laughed, “I’m a star Porthos.”

That didn’t help his own confusion and she merely kept chuckling over it, taking his arm and leading them back down the path they were on.

“Are we going to reach the Wall in time?” She switched the conversation over.

Porthos squinted at one of the signs and then sighed, “I think not, we’d need a ride somewhere.”

“Well in that case,” She said mischievously, knowing she had better hearing and sight and that a carriage was coming, “I think we’re in luck.”

~~

The woman who stopped before them kept muttering about stars and witches and yet she didn’t look at Constance at all, wouldn’t respond to her questions, but she would talk to Porthos at least.

“We seek passage to the Wall.” He explained, “We need to be there within a few days.”

“Why do you keep saying we?” The old woman crooned, eyeing Porthos like he had gone made and he looked at Constance who merely shrugged.

Before he could question it she shook it off, “Very well, I’ll give you passage, but for a price.”

There was nothing aside from his sword that he had with him except…except the flower, the last thing he had of his mothers.

Constance was smiling at him with encouragement but faltered when he brought it out.

“Porthos no, we can find another way.” She told him.

“Just…let me talk.” He said quietly to her and turned to the old woman, “Would this be able to buy us safe passage to the Wall and…perhaps a Babylon candle?”

Constance froze.

He was asking for a candle, he was asking for that candle for her, glancing her way in quick succession and then back at the old woman.

“Porthos…” Behind her a bird shrieked loudly, making her look away towards the noise.

She whirled back around when she heard Porthos’ below of anger and smoke that reminded her far too much of being in that inn with a witch about to carve out her heart surround him.

And then suddenly Porthos wasn’t there anymore instead in his place was a prickly little hedgehog with the witch looming over him.

“Dare steal one of my own flowers eh?” She scooped him up, dropping him into a cage she had hanging off her carriage. “I’ll do my promise and get you safe passage. A candle is out of the question and for the time being you can stay like that to learn not to steal.”

The bird behind her was shrieking like mad in time with Constance’s own yelling but the witch only told the bird to shut up with a wave of her hand and the birds voice was gone while Constance was left in near tears begging her to bring Porthos back.

That didn’t last long and she considered pulling the sword from her side to cut off the witches head but the witch was already at the front of the carriage and moving it along and she had to dash to enter the back where Porthos had been stored.

He sat there scurrying around his cage, looking every which way and her heart sunk, falling to her knees in front of the cage.

“Oh Porthos, please you have to come back to me.” She told him, wiggling one finger through the bars of the cage and he pressed his cold nose against it. “I don’t suppose you can understand me?”

Nothing but tiny claws scratching against the metal of the cage.

She sighed, “It’s just…when we first met even though you were technically kidnapping me, and don’t even lie Porthos you were and I will tell Flea when I meet her, you were still so kind. You cared that my ankle was okay and I was okay and you were just trying so hard to give your siblings that life they wanted at the sacrifice of your own.”

“And you’re so willing to throw your life away so many times, for me, for your siblings, but never for yourself.” She cautiously brushed the top of his head where the spines were resting back and rather soft, “It’s one of the things I love about you.”

Constance nearly banged her head when she jumped up, hand over her mouth.

“I love you.” She said again. “I…I love you, I do, I do. You’re frustrating and you find humour in far far too many things but it…it makes me laugh where I never did up there you know?” She waved her hands towards the ceiling looking up.

“And if I could spend forever with you I think…I think that I’d be okay not going back. Because I love you.” She knelt down once more, “So you have to come back to me Porthos, I need you to come back to me.”

~~

They made it to the marketplace at nightfall, the witch halting the carriage and coming around to open the back doors.

“Well it’s about time.” Constance said loudly despite that the witch couldn’t hear her. “Suppose you must really be under some curse so as not to see me.”

She had a sneaking suspicion that Marie had something to do with this and was shaken with wondering how far that witches powers spread.

Hopefully she would never find out if she crossed the Wall with Porthos.

The witch pulled out his cage and set him on the ground and with the same creeping smoke surrounding him he was wonderfully completely her Porthos once more.

“Porthos!” She jumped at him, raising her arms and wrapping them around his neck and he gasped in surprise but didn’t drop her, arms coming around her waist to hold her to him.

“Miss me then?” He teased when she let go.

“Perhaps a little.” She teased back, straightening her skirt.

From the corner of her eye she could see the bird attached to the carriage with a similar chain that Porthos had had still trying to yell at them but put it out of her mind when Porthos offered her his arm.

“Let’s find a place to rest.” His voice was gravely with exhaustion and his footing slipped as they walked, this time it was her turn to help him stumble about till they found a room.

~~

They slept a whole night and most of the day before Porthos felt truly himself again after his ordeal and Constance felt it was time to tease him on what a cute hedgehog he had been; up until it reminded her of the conversation she had had with the hedgehog that was Porthos.

She cleared her throat as they got ready for bed, Porthos preparing the cot as he had last night, giving her the bed despite her complaints he needed it more.

“Porthos, by any chance…do you remember being a hedgehog?” She asked innocently, just cursory looking to see if he remembered any of that.

“All of it.” He said, laying down the sheet.

Her mouth fell open and she spluttered, Porthos looked up at her from where he was bent over.

“Why did you not say anything?!” She demanded, torn and worried that he hadn’t said anything because he hadn’t felt at all the same.

“Was waiting for you to.” Porthos tugged at the earring in his one ear, “Didn’t want you to have regretted it.”

She stood up and was next to him in the blink of an eye, pulling him down for a kiss.

“You’re an infuriatingly stubborn man.” She told him between kisses, “I don’t know how I love you.”

He smiled against her lips, “But I know how I love you, with every inch of me, though I have nothing to give.”

“I’m not asking for anything but you.” She stepped backwards, taking him with him and fell onto the bed, pulling him down and he bracketed his arms on either side of her to lean over her.

“You’re sure?” His brown eyes burrowed into her with the desire in them, restrained until her answer.

“Yes, Porthos, yes.” She wound her arms around him and pulled him completely down on top of her and the rest of the night was lost to worshipping to each other.

~~

Porthos woke before Constance and knew what he had to do; taking a knife and cutting off a single lock of hair.

That would be enough to prove his star existed and all that was needed and then he would return; his father’s rules be damned, this was Porthos’ last act as a citizen of Paris for all her cared.

Closure for his mother that he had never met.

He wrote a quick note, saying he now knew where he truly belonged and left it on the pillow next to Constance’s head, spending a minute admiring the way her hair spread out over the sheets and the glow of her skin, more vibrant than anything he had ever seen.

And then, with an unburdened heart, Porthos left to head to Paris one last time and return to Constance as soon as he could.

~~

When Constance woke it was to a cold bed.

“Porthos?” She called out, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and wondering if she would ever get used to sleeping at night when stars were rightfully supposed to be awake.

“Porthos?” She called out again, looking around to see no sign of him except the note on the bed.

Reading it she felt like someone had thrown cold water on to her.

Porthos knew where he belonged.

Where he belonged wasn’t with her.

And with a broken heart she decided to give him one last thing, her very self to his undeserving family, and stood to get dressed and walk to the Wall.

She didn’t notice however the woman watching her, chained to a carriage and yelling at her to come back.

~~

Porthos arrived at Belgard’s mansion with a smile that Eleanor quickly saw and scoffed at.

“Arrived to beg in shame?” She asked snippily.

“Arrived to deliver my end of the bargain and leave. I want nothing from this world.” He’d find another way to help Flea and Charon, maybe bring them over the Wall and start over there where they could help the children of both sides.

“Oh and have you brought us a shooting star.” Eleanor mocked.

Levesque met them in the hallway, sneering at Porthos and raising a sword towards him.

“What is this whelp doing back?” He asked.

Porthos looked at the sword and chuckled.

“Something amusing bar brawler?” Levesque demanded.

“Just that I know someone half your size who could beat you with that, you’re not even holding it right.” Porthos pulled the sword Treville had given him out, waving it in a pattern that Levesque could not hope to follow, “See this is more like it.”

The two stared at him in horror, taking a step back just as Belgard descended from the stairs.

“So boy, have you done your duty?”

“A duty I don’t owe to you,” Porthos claimed and dug the handkerchief holding the lock of Constance’s hair out to him, opening it up and seeing…dust.

Nothing but dust.

His faced paled.

“What is that? Soot? Hardly a shooting star.”

Porthos paid no mind to Eleanor’s comment, he was already turning and running out the door and towards the Wall, thinking only of Constance and the danger she was in if she went near it.

~~

Constance was so lost in her own world of sorrow she didn’t hear the hoofbeats and carriage wheels squeaking behind her when she made it to the Wall.

She did however feel the arm on her shoulder, turning her in desperation to see a beautiful woman, whose skin was the same rich brown colour that Porthos’ was and had the same intense eyes.

“You can’t cross the Wall.” The woman said, out of breath, “If you do you’ll die.”

Constance had no time to take her words in as just then the door to the carriage blew open and the witch who had been trapped inside stepped out.

“Aadila” The witch bellowed the name that Constance could only guess belonged to the woman who had saved her, “How dare you take me here for no reason.”

She still couldn’t see Constance before her, fire shaking from her fingertips and Constance clasped Aadila’s hand.

At that moment however another carriage rode in, with midnight black horses who whinnied so loud that Constance had to hold her hands over her ears.

“Now Wren.” Marie stepped out of the carriage, “What did I say about you looking at my star?”

“I see no star your majesty,” The other witch stuttered stumbling back, “Tis as you said when broke for food, I shall hunt your star not at all.”

“And yet here you are.” Marie’s smile was vicious, like a wolf’s right before it struck and sure enough her own green fire took over Wren and fried the woman straight to her bones.

“Now,” Marie turned to Constance and Aadila, “Shall we?”

She gestured to her carriage and Constance let go of Aadila’s hand to inch towards her sword.

“Ah ah ah,” Marie shook her finger, “None of that now. After all, what is it you’re fighting for? You have no way to get home and no one here for you.”

Porthos’ name was at the tip of her tongue but died there.

Her shoulders fell, sword dropping to the ground, and for the first time, Constance gave up.

~~

Porthos made it past De Foix with ease this time the old man was so surprised of his urgency to get through the hole in the Wall and as soon as he made it to the other side he cried out when he saw Constance sword.

He grabbed it, looking around in horror and knew that he had to go over to the other side of the Wall to see if his worst fear had been founded except that he noticed carriage marks and three sets of footprints, none of which lead to the hole in the Wall.

But this presented a new dilemma, Constance had been taken and if it was by force he couldn’t be sure but judging the by charred remains that lay next to a carriage he had a suspicion it wasn’t her choice.

He made to stand but the cold press of metal against his neck stopped him, looking up to see a man who looked quite a lot like Primus whom he had met what felt like a lifetime ago.

Once more it was easy to see his own features in this face, something he tried to shake off and chalk up to the strangeness of this land.

“Who are you and why have you been interfering with my quest?” The man demanded.

“I’ve got no issues with your quest,” Porthos shoved the sword at his neck aside and rose to his feet, “I’ve one of my own.”

“You have been seen with the woman who has the royal necklace,” The man continued to point the sword his way, “And you were the last people seen when my brother was alive, though if you did kill him I must congratulate you as that leaves me the only one left.”

Porthos’ brow furrowed in confusion, what had Constance’s necklace got to do with any of this and since when was it royal?

“What’s the necklace for?” He asked as he attached Constance’s sword to his belt.

“It marks the next king, me of course. When I hold it and it turns into the proper ruby it was then I shall rule over all of Stormhold.” The man eyed him and then finally put away his sword, “You apparently know nothing, be gone.”

“Wait.” Porthos called out, “I can help you.”

The man turned and raised his eyebrow.

“I may not care about the necklace, but the woman who has it, she’s…she’s important to me. I want to see her safe.” Porthos swallowed hard at the idea that he had caused Constance any kind of pain and this dangerous situation she might be in. “And I think I know who has her.”

That charred body reminded him far too much of a certain witch’s power.

The man crossed his arms and thought about it for a moment and then nodded, “Very well. Saddle up.”

~~

Aadila was kind enough to try to distract Constance on the ride over with her own story though it did no good to settle Constance’s nerves.

“I got trapped by that witch, I made a deal I shouldn’t have and had to serve her forever so long as that chain was on me,” Marie had broken it when Aadila refused to let Constance go without her, finally freeing her after so long only to walk into another mess, “I made so many bad mistakes, slept with a man I thought was kind but showed his true colours nine months later.”

That part was so soft it was barely heard but then Aadila straightened up and cleared her throat, “I was that bird earlier, she liked turning me into such things, I was trying to warn you.”

Constance nodded, the words filtering through but barely making an impact she felt so lost inside herself.

“And there’s something else you should know-” Aadila was cut off when the carriage rolled to a halt.

“Oh look, we’re here.” Marie smile was saccharine sweet, she stepped out the carriage and waved her hand to hurry them along, “Come along now, after all, a star’s heart is always better sooner rather than later. Not to mention my sisters are just dying to meet you.”

~~

The man who would be king’s name was Septimus and if this was the future ruler than Porthos felt bad for the place because while he enjoyed a good fight this man was practically bloodthirsty.

It was a shame Primus had died, he might have made a better ruler at the very least.

They pulled their horses to a halt as soon as the witches’ castle was in view.

“I’ve heard the legends of this place, the three sister witches who have lived forever. Rumor has it they use the very heart of a star to do so.” Septimus smiled like he was trying to share a secret but Porthos felt a cold chill go through him.

Constance was in more danger than he thought.

“Do try not to get in my way.”

Had he not needed Septimus he might have punched him then.

The man brazenly tore the door open, charging in without really looking while Porthos peeked through a window to see three witches tying Constance up.

It was strange but Septimus, for all his bluster suddenly came to a halt in front of someone just hidden from Porthos vantagepoint, mouthing a word and then, just like that, a rose eerily from the ground and the sword he was holding clanged as it fell to the floor.

Porthos dove into the building while no one was looking to get a better view and nearly ran into the person Spetimus had been talking to.

“Porthos.” The woman breathed out, raising her hands to cup his face, “I never… I never dreamed I’d see you.”

He must have looked rightfully confused because she laughed with tears in her eyes.

“I’m your mother.”

The resemblance was of course undeniable while looking at her and Porthos could safely say he had never dreamed of this moment either, pulling her close to hug her in his shock.

The moment wasn’t to last however, Septimus body fell to the floor with a sickly noise and Porthos pushed his mother towards the door.

“Go, I’ll take care of this.” He promised.

The witches were so distracted with controlling the doll they had made of Septimus, toying with it to their own delight to make his body contort painfully, that they never noticed Porthos sneaking closer to where Constance was.

“Constance,” He whispered her name as loud as he dared to and she turned lethargically towards him until she actually saw his, gasping and hissing his name in return.

“What are you doing here?”

“Couldn’t leave you,” Porthos grinned, “Look at what trouble you get up to when I do.”

“You’ll pay for that remark later,” She retorted, snorting but kept smiling and met his eyes. “I never thought I’d see you again…I thought, I thought that you didn’t want me. That you had chosen that other life.”

He reached out to cup her face, thumb stroking her cheek, “Never.”

He would have liked to talk more with her but the danger was still around them so snuck closer to the table Constance was pinned on and began fiddling with the straps until she was free.

The witches backs were towards them, the only one they recognized was Marie and the other two must have been the sisters that Septimus mentioned.

Together they began sneaking back to the entrance, so close to being free but Constance’s flickering light that she could not control in her happiness to see Porthos again caught the eyes of one of the witches and they whirled around to face the two with a yell.

“Here. I think you dropped this.” Porthos murmured, pressing Constance’s sword into her hands. “I take one, you take the other and we turn on the last?”

“Perfect.” She said, leaning over to kiss him and then standing, the sword in her hand unwavering.

The two of them stepped in union, knowing they had to do this fight and kept an eye as best they could on the other.

Porthos had cornered the blonde haired witch who continuously threw fireballs towards him that he ducked and Constance was forcing the other brunette witch who was Marie down the stairs with her unrelenting attacks.

Marie herself seemed at a loss of who to help and what exactly she should do but Porthos and Constance paid no mind, stuck solely in their tasks.

Constance got lucky, the witch she had been fighting tripped over her feet on the stairs and with a yell fell down them, trying to grab hold of Constance as she did and only able to get a hold of her necklace and tear it off Constance’s neck as she fell, the crunch of bone and lifeless body proved she had been her own downfall; staring at it Constance felt she was going to be sick, heart hurting at the loss of life even though minutes before they had been trying to kill her.

Porthos had grabbed one of the silver platters the witches kept, sickened by the idea that this close to where Constance was about to be sacrificed it had meant this was where they would lay her heart when they cut it out of her.

He held it in front of him, praying to all the stars his plan would work, and when she next threw a fireball the magic caught against the silver platter and threw itself back in the witch’s direction; burning her up with her own fire.

“Porthos!” Constance skidded over to him, running her hands over him, “You’re all right thank the stars.”

Her grinned only because he had been thinking the same of her.

She pressed their foreheads together, one of her hands shaking from the adrenaline and her skin glowed, shining brightly in the dim room.

“So he’s what makes you happy?” Marie crooned, looking at them, “This works out so well for me. It is after all better to have a star die happy. Your hearts last longer that way.”

Both of them held their swords in her direction and she laughed, waving her hands and the swords were torn from their hands, flying across the room where they would do no good.

“Did you really think you’d won?” Marie took a step towards them, raising a glass knife.

Constance clutched the back of Porthos’ shirt with one hand as he wrapped an arm around her.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t be happy my sisters were gone so I could have your heart all too myself?” Marie kept cackling, merciless and cruel.

“Porthos.” Constance tugged at his shirt collar with her free hand, bringing him to face her. “Close your eyes.”

“Constance?”

“Do you trust me?”

He grinned down at her, “Course.”

“Then shut your eyes.” She told him, waiting until he did so and leaning in to kiss him slowly.

As she did the world around them lit up with the brilliant light that could only be a star; a genuinely happy and in love star whose light would blow anyone who looked at her away.

Sure enough the screams of Marie as the light burned through her echoed in the large room and it was only when they faded away that Constance tried to pull all the light back inside herself.

“See,” Porthos’ warm eyes met hers, full of unbridled affection, “Outshine everything.”

“Porthos.” She sighed and then shook her head and laughed, letting him have it.

Aadila who had been hiding behind the house and thankfully had not looked at the light came through the door, praying it was over and sighing in relief when she saw Constance and Porthos.

They continued down the steps to meet her, hand in hand but stopped when Porthos stepped on something that had him almost lose his footing.

The necklace that had knocked Constance out of the sky, that had started all of this, lay at his feet and he picked it up in quiet consideration eyes widening when before their very eyes the once clear crystal turned into a deep rich red ruby.

“Congratulations my son,” Aadila said, wrapping her hands around Porthos’ one holding the crystal. “I believe that makes you king of this land.”

Porthos looked over at Constance who looked up at him.

“Would you- that is- I don’t want to presume.” He stumbled over his words, looking for the right ones and Constance tried to hide her smile as she waited until Porthos met her eyes, “Stay with me?”

“Always Porthos,” She promised, leaning in to kiss him, “Always.”

~~

Porthos once had no last name to call his own, no land, no title, nothing but the small hut that he and Flea and Charon lived in.

That hut was no longer his home, nor was it Flea’s or Charon’s with all the money he had given to them to make a better life.

There instead was now a kingdom to call his own as he crowned Porthos du Vallon.

None of that matter to him though, none at all could top the elation that was his at the Queen, his Queen, next to him and the star’s heart who belonged as securely to him as his heart did to her.

For Porthos and Constance lived happily ever after; with their kingdom and children and grandchildren until such a time that Constance took his hand and the Babylon candle that had been gifted to them on their wedding by Aadila and lit it with joy and they took their mortal lives to the skies above to live in immortal bliss twinkling in the night sky.


End file.
